Catalan Literary and Artistic Heritage: Forms and Eras
Popular Literature Characteristics
- Anonymous: Authorship is often unknown.
- Traditional: Follows established guidelines and forms.
- Oral Transmission: Passed down from generation to generation.
- Unstable: Content may vary with each transmission.
- Inaccurate Dating: Precise origin is unclear, but vocabulary helps chronological placement.
- International: Themes and forms often transcend borders.
Traditional Songs: Forms and Themes
Religious songs feature simple melodies, often praising Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and saints. They are commonly written in heptasyllabic verses with specific structures:
- Chorus: Abba
- Coplas: ababc(a)d(b)
- Retronxa: d(b)c(a)
- Final Return: Abba
Christmas Songs
Two main types:
- Religious: Focus on episodes of Jesus’ birth.
- Environmental: Describe aspects of the Christmas celebration.
Bandit and Highwaymen Songs
These songs narrate and mythologize the adventures and robberies of bandits.
Pandero Songs
Sung by members of the Confraternity of the Virgin of the Rosary, often performed in homes.
Corrandes
Short songs, typically four heptasyllabic verses with specific rhyme schemes.
The Romancero: Ballads and Their Origins
Romances (ballads) originated from ancient songs performed by minstrels, often recounting heroic deeds. They are categorized into three main groups based on their origin:
- French Romances (15th Century): Examples include The Good Hunter and Saint Catherine.
- Gutierrez Romances (16th Century): [Specific examples not provided in original text]
- Indigenous Romances (17th Century): Example: Account of Arnau.
Narrative Forms in Traditional Literature
Comedy
Aimed primarily at children, comedies are divided into two types:
- Wonderful Comedies: Featuring fantastical elements (e.g., “The Chained Beast”).
- Real-World Comedies: Depicting everyday life with elements of blessing, burlesque, and wit.
These are typically simple compositions, characterized by expressive language and distinct beginnings and ends.
Legends
Legends are historical facts reinterpreted over time with the addition of imaginary elements.
Traditions
Narratives that explain origins, such as place names (toponymic explanations).
Medieval Arts: Education and Propaganda
Medieval arts served as an effective instrument for character education and propaganda.
Religious Arts
Religious art aimed to facilitate the comprehension of Gospel texts.
Mystery Plays
Mystery plays dramatized episodes and specific religious themes, grouped into cycles:
- Christmas Cycle: Performances depicting the Annunciation and the worship of Jesus.
- Easter Cycle: Focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
- Marian Cycle: Centered on the death and assumption of the Virgin Mary.
- Saint Cycle: Portraying the lives of saints and martyrs.
- Biblical Cycle: Based on stories from the Old Testament.
Profane Theater Forms
- The Jester: A central figure in secular entertainment.
- Appetizers and Comic Sketches: Short dramatic pieces performed between courses at weddings, often featuring romantic intrigue and archetypal characters (e.g., cheated husbands).
- Momo: Performances involving people dancing and wearing excessive costumes.
- Masquerades: Performances featuring comic songs.
Catalan Cultural Decadence (16th-18th Centuries)
This period marks a significant decline in Catalan culture and literature, both in quality and quantity. It encompasses the Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism, and Enlightenment periods.
Causes of Decadence
- Weakening of Catalonia’s political identity.
- Establishment of the Spanish court as the cultural center.
- The Decree of Nueva Planta, which suppressed Catalan political institutions and prohibited the use of the Catalan language.
Linguistic Concepts
Bilingualism
The alternative use of two languages by a single individual.
Diglossia
A social linguistic situation where one language is used for formal, written functions, and another for informal, oral functions.
Key Figures and Works
- Cristòfor Despuig (16th Century): Author of The Colloquies of the Famous City of Tortosa, a work in six dialogues that illustrates the contemporary linguistic and cultural situation.
- Baldiri Reixac (17th Century): Wrote Instructions for the Teaching of Boys, advocating for Catalan as the primary language while acknowledging the need to study Spanish.
- Josep Pau Ballot (19th Century): Authored Grammar and Apology of the Catalan Language.
Modernism: Cultural Transformation
Modernism refers to a cultural transformation process, moving from a traditional, archaic culture towards a modern, regional, and national identity.
Aesthetic Trends
- Regenerationist: This trend had not only aesthetic intentions but also aimed to address the ideological desolation of society. Art and culture were seen as tools for social revolution.
- Decadent-Aesthetic: Adherents did not believe in the artist’s role as a political transformer of society, advocating for “art for art’s sake.”
Artist-Society Relationship
The relationship between artists and society was often contradictory. Some artists sought to construct an artistic vision of life, while others aimed to integrate art into material aspects of society. This often resulted in marginalization, both by society and by the artists themselves. The bohemian lifestyle characterized artists displaced from the established social system.
Tragic or Black Bohemia
This attitude, aligned with regenerationist ideals, sought social renewal and awakening from ideological and social maladjustment. Often vitalist and revolutionary anarchist, this path frequently ended tragically, sometimes in suicide.
Rose or Gold Bohemia
This trend championed “art for art’s sake,” believing art should remain separate from social progress. It often involved an evasion of societal norms through artistic expression and economic self-sufficiency, characteristic of the decadent-aesthetic movement.